Senate rejects birth-control proposal

Plan required contraception coverage despite employer’s religious beliefs

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate turned back a Democratic proposal requiring for-profit companies to provide workers with insurance coverage for birth control even if the employer has religious objections.

Senators voted 56-43, with 60 required, not to advance the measure, which seeks to reverse the U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving the craft-store chain Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., voted to move the bill forward. U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., voted to keep it from advancing.

Democrats say the court's decision grants some employers unfair say over women's health care.

"Women should call the shots when it comes to their health care decisions: Not their boss, not the government, not anyone else -- period," Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Tuesday in a floor speech. After Wednesday's vote, she said, "We are going to continue the fight."

Pryor also said employers shouldn't make health care decisions.

"This bill allows women and their families to make health care decisions in accordance with their own religious beliefs. Additionally, it preserves the exemption made for churches and other religious nonprofits to ensure they do not have to provide coverage that violates their religious beliefs," he said.

In a statement, David Ray, a spokesman for Pryor's Republican challenger, U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, said the vote is "just another example of Senator Pryor supporting Obamacare at all costs, even if it means trampling the religious freedoms of Christians who have deeply held religious beliefs."

In a statement, Pryor campaign spokesman Lexie Conduff said Cotton has a condescending attitude toward women.

"Cotton opposes paycheck fairness for women and twice voted against the Violence Against Women Act. ... Congressman Cotton doesn't get to lecture Arkansas women about why their boss should be allowed to deny their access to common forms of birth control," she said.

Three Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mark Kirk of Illinois, joined Democrats in voting to advance the measure. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., voted no to preserve his ability to bring the bill up again.

"We are going to vote again on this issue before this year is out," Reid said after the vote.

In the June 30 Supreme Court decision, the justices ruled 5-4 that closely held companies can refuse on religious grounds to provide employees with contraceptive coverage.

The birth-control rule stems from the 2010 Affordable Care Act's requirement that any insurance coverage offered by employers meet minimum standards. President Barack Obama's administration contends that contraceptive coverage is crucial to women's health and well-being.

Senate Democrats developed the legislation in consultation with the Obama administration.

Boozman called the bill an "attack on religious liberty."

"I will continue to oppose legislation that threatens the rights of Americans to freely practice their religious beliefs. This legislation is nothing more than a political statement that won't see the light of day in the House," Boozman said.

Other Republicans accused Democrats of attempting to distract from harm to women that Republicans say is caused by the health care law.

"When it comes to decisions about contraception, both parties believe a woman should be able to make her own decisions," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday on the Senate floor.

McConnell and fellow Republican Sens. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Deb Fischer of Nebraska introduced a measure that he said specifies that "an employer cannot block an employee from legal access to her FDA-approved contraceptives."

Democrats reportedly are trying to woo women voters -- especially single ones -- before the November election. The party, which controls 55 Senate seats in the 100-member chamber, is trying to stave off a Republican takeover.

Democratic Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado, who drafted the measure with Murray, is seeking a second term in November.

With Republicans expected to retain their U.S. House majority, a net gain of six seats would put them in charge of the Senate and give the party control of both chambers of Congress for the last two years of Obama's presidency.

Information for this article was contributed by Kathleen Hunter of Bloomberg News and by Sarah D. Wire of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

A Section on 07/17/2014

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